The Upper Kolyma gold province, which was discovered in the early 20th century, has produced more than 3000 tons of gold from placer deposits. This precious metal allowed to partially support financially the industrialization of the USSR in the 1930s and it was also used to pay for Lend-Lease supplies during the Great Patriotic War. In the 21st century, although gold continues to be extracted from placer deposits, the main source of gold production in the Kolyma region is hardrock deposits. At different periods, self-educated gold prospectors and professional geologists, who graduated from Leningrad and Moscow universities have made significant contributions to the development of this world-class gold province.
A.S. Yakubchuk (2026) studied this question.